Making hay while the sun shines

27 Jun
2014

The garden team have been weeding, edging and mowing like things possessed this week

The weather has been fine and dry, but this hasn’t stopped our weeds or grass growing with a vengeance. Weeds, I find, have a cunning manner of disguising themselves to look exactly like the plant they’re growing next to - or worse - in the middle of. This takes considerable skill in winkling them out – at which we have become adept over the years.

Mowing though did give me the chance to get on our shiny new ride-on mower which we have only had ownership of for two weeks. It was very simple to use and had an automatic high lift grass dump which made mowing and removal of clippings very easy, like driving a mini tractor; I shall certainly be first in line for another mowing session next week.

We are onto our second sowing of poppies, the first lot (despite much fussing, pampering, tending praying and cajoling) solidly refused to germinate. The second lot went down last week with undisguised threats and mutterings, I have had the same problem at home when I scattered a packet in the garden and have had one solitary seedling emerge (randomly at the other side of the garden). It's heartening to know I'm not alone here - RHS Rosemoor had trouble with their poppies too. Back at work meanwhile poppies are springing up all over the place where they haven’t been planted. Que sera, sera!